Comments on: Cost for Mars 2020 rover up 15% https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/cost-for-mars-2020-rover-up-15/ Tue, 19 Mar 2019 23:45:04 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Edward https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/cost-for-mars-2020-rover-up-15/#comment-1065222 Tue, 19 Mar 2019 23:45:04 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=57128#comment-1065222 From the article: “some scientists felt it was unfair that ICEMAG ended while the Mars 2020 instruments continue. But it’s not a fair comparison, Glaze says. Mars 2020 is so far along in its development that descoping an instrument would save barely any money.”

Except that ICEMAG’s overrun is $30 million, and the three Mars 2020 overruns average $120 million each. Descoping an instrument could save more than four times as much as is being saved on ICEMAG. The comparison is that descoping ICEMAG barely saves any money.

A real savings could be achieved by using a rocket other than SLS for Europa Clipper, the probe that ICEMAG would have flown on. There is no urgency for exploring Europa, and launching on another rocket would require one or two slingshot maneuvers at Venus. As we see, there are other probes that are already suffering. Saving money on the rocket could reduce that suffering and bring us more information for the money spent.

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